The Trump administration announced Monday that it is pausing five major offshore wind turbine projects over what it described as emerging national security threats linked to military radar interference.
According to the Interior Department, the decision centers on the “clutter” caused by the massive spinning blades and reflective towers of offshore turbines, which officials say could compromise radar systems used by the U.S. military and homeland security agencies along the East Coast.
“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “This action addresses national security risks, including rapid advancements in adversary technologies and vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects near population centers.”
The paused projects include Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Sunrise Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Empire Wind 1 — all located off the coasts of New England and New York.
Burgum emphasized that “one natural gas pipeline supplies as much energy as these five projects combined,” reinforcing the administration’s broader push away from green energy in favor of traditional fossil fuels.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul slammed the pause, accusing the Trump administration of deliberately undermining clean energy. “They will look for any excuse to continue their assault on clean energy and the thousands of good-paying jobs these projects bring,” she said. “There is no credible justification for this stoppage.”
She added that her office would work with other impacted states to explore legal or administrative options to revive the stalled projects.
President Trump has been a vocal critic of wind and solar energy throughout his time in office. In January, he posted on Truth Social: “Windmills are an economic and environmental disaster. I don’t want even one built during my Administration. The thousands of dead and broken ones should be ripped down ASAP. Most expensive energy, only work with massive government subsidies, which we will no longer pay!”
His opposition to renewable energy didn’t stop there. In an August post, Trump warned that states relying on wind and solar are seeing “record breaking increases in electricity and energy costs,” calling the green energy push “the scam of the century.” He added, “The days of stupidity are over in the USA. MAGA!”
That message prompted pushback from the Solar and Storage Industries Association, which responded on X, stating, “The real scam is blaming solar for fossil fuel price spikes. Farmers, families, and businesses choose solar to save money, preserve land, and escape high costs of the old, dirty fuels being forced on them by this administration.”
The administration’s decision marks a sharp turn away from the renewable energy expansion pursued by previous administrations and reflects a broader realignment of U.S. energy policy under Trump’s “America First” approach.
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